


Are You a Lion or Not?

by tryslora



Series: Tumblr Kiss Meme [11]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Confessions, Courage, Drinking, First Kiss, Kissing, M/M, Tongues, Tumblr Ask Box Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-27
Updated: 2013-08-27
Packaged: 2017-12-24 20:21:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/944230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tryslora/pseuds/tryslora
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neville's pining; Seamus wants to know if he's a lion or not, and when the hell he's going to tell Harry about this!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Are You a Lion or Not?

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for the prompt "and then there was tongue" and Neville/Harry for my tumblr kiss meme. As always, I do not own the world or characters of Harry Potter; I just like to write about them.

“Are you a lion or not?”

Neville glares at Seamus over the rim of his pint. “Shut it,” he mutters. “I bloody well beheaded a sodding giant evil snake. I think I’ve proven my courage.”

“Yet you’re flummoxed by a bloke you’ve been love with since you were eleven.”

“I regret telling you that.”

Seamus tilts his glass at Neville before raising it to his lips and draining it. Bloke doesn’t even have the courtesy to pretend he’s vaguely affected by the alcohol as he calls out for another round. “Just go on and do it, Nev,” Seamus continues. “Walk over and plant one on him.”

Neville glances at where Harry stands talking to Ron and Hermione, then quickly looks back at his glass. “Some of us don’t have a friends with benefits deal set up with our best mate,” he says dryly. Seamus and Dean are a well-known on-again, off-again pair by now. At the moment, they’re off while Dean dates Seamus’s ex-girlfriend, but given how affectionate Lavender still is with Seamus, Neville gets the feeling it’s more complicated than he really wants to know.

“Mate, you know how we got started?” Seamus leans forward, expression intent. “I walked up to him and said, _Dean, you’ve got the best prick I’ve ever seen and I want to suck it like a lollipop._ ”

Neville chokes on his pint, the liquid fire as it slides down the wrong pipe. He leans forward, coughing, vaguely registering someone pounding on his back. “You did _not_ ,” he manages to gasp out.

“I did,” Seamus confirms with a grin. “And it worked.”

“Did what?”

It’s Harry’s voice behind him, and that must be _Harry’s_ hand patting Neville’s back. Neville freezes, and Harry sounds concerned as he asks, “You all right there, Nev?”

Seamus still smiles easily. “I screwed my courage up and told a bloke I fancied him.” He drains his glass again and sets it on the table as he pushes to standing. “I figure our Nev ought to do the same thing, yeah?” He glances across the room, and gestures. “Dean and Lav are here, so if you’ll excuse me, I’m off?”

“I’m fine,” Neville says quietly, managing to breathe without coughing. “I’ll be fine.”

But Harry, being Harry, pulls out a chair and sits down next to Neville. “Looks like you’ve had a few. Drinking your heart into oblivion because you don’t think some bloke would fancy you back? If he doesn’t, he’s an idiot.”

“Or straight,” Neville points out. Sexuality is something that hasn’t really come up between them, not as a specific point of discussion. Besides, Neville would have no idea how to explain himself if he did; the only bloke he’s ever fancied is Harry after all.

“I suppose that’s true, but I didn’t think the wizarding world worried about that as much as Muggles do.” Harry has his own pint with him, already half gone, and he sets it down on the table with a soft thunk. “That’s what Hermione and Ron told me, anyway.”

“Why?” Neville tilts his head, curious and surprised when Harry flushes a soft rosy pink.

“There’s this bloke,” Harry admits. “I don’t know if it’s blokes in general or just him, but it’s definitely him at least.”

And suddenly Neville _knows_. Just like he knows Harry would never tell them the truth, not the whole truth, because Ron and Hermione are well, _Ron and Hermione_. “You were dating the wrong Weasley,” he says, nodding to himself.

“What?”

Neville blinks at him, because it’s so _obvious_. “When you were dating Ginny, she was the wrong Weasley. Because you’ve got a thing for Ron.”

“Ron?” Harry’s voice slides loud and he gestures in a definite _stay away_ motion when Ron and Hermione both glance over. Leaning in, Harry lowers his voice. “It’s not Ron. He’s like a bloody brother to me. And Ginny’s like a sister, and that’s why it didn’t work out. I’m already an honorary Weasley. Much as Molly would like me to, I don’t have to marry into the family to be that.”

Neville frowns. “Well, if it’s not Ron, then who is it?” Another thought strikes him and he winces. “Bloody hell, please tell me that’s not why you were so fascinated with every bloody move Malfoy made when we were in Hogwarts.”

Harry drops his head, face against his palm. “No, Neville, it’s not Malfoy.” His face is muffled. “Are you going to try guessing all night here, or are you going to just let me tell you who it is?”

“You’re going to tell me who it is?” That wasn’t what Neville expected. He’s not Harry’s confidante—that’s Ron and Hermione, although they probably already know. He assumes they already know. Wouldn’t they already know?

“Yeah, Nev, that’s why I came over here, but then you started choking, and it seems like maybe you’ve had a few pints already so maybe this isn’t the best time…” Harry’s voice trails off, and he looks down at where Neville has grabbed his wrist.

Neville doesn’t remember doing that, doesn’t remember reaching out. But for a moment there it seemed like Harry was going to get up and walk away, and Neville doesn’t want that to happen. He’s not sure if he can be honest right now, not if Harry’s pining for someone else, but at least he can be a good mate and listen. “Tell me,” Neville says quietly. “I want to know.”

“It’s you.” Harry’s tongue darts out to wet his lips, and when Neville sits there, unable to form words, he repeats it. “It’s _you_ , Neville. I’ve been thinking about it for a while, then Ron started poking at me, asking if I was a bloody lion or not. As if defeating the dark lord wasn’t enough to prove that.”

“I killed Nagini,” Neville said. “Seamus thought that meant it ought to be easy to tell you how I felt.”

“Exactly!” Harry points at him, then stops, brows furrowing. “What?”

And Neville realizes what he’s said, and what Harry’s said, and what they’ve _both_ managed to say to each other. He wants to ask _how long_ but honestly, that doesn’t even matter. All that matters is that if they’re both interested, this ought to be all right to do.

So he leans forward and manages to meet Harry halfway, bumping noses on the way into the kiss. It’s only awkward for a moment before they figure out how to properly fit together, then Harry’s mouth opens and Neville takes advantage of it, teasing with his tongue and tasting Harry properly. He explores slowly, tasting hops before Harry pushes back, his tongue chasing Neville’s and gaining entrance while Neville moans. Heat rises to his cheeks, when the kiss finally breaks.

Somewhere in the distance there is low applause, and Neville hears Seamus catcalling.

“We ought to get out of here,” Harry says with a quick flash of a grin.

Neville nods, and they hurry out hand in hand. Once outside, Harry asks, “Mine?” and Neville nods, not trusting his voice. He’s not sure he has words right now that could make any sense, but that doesn’t matter because as soon as they’re in Harry’s flat, he pushes Harry up against the wall. He kisses the corner of Harry’s mouth, licks at his lips until they part, and Neville is allowed in again, teasing him with his tongue in slow lazy kisses.

He never thought he’d have this, never really dared hope.

“Stay,” Harry whispers, and Neville nods. Wherever this goes, whatever they do, it doesn’t matter. He just wants to be with Harry, and all night sounds like a fantastic start.


End file.
